“Have you considered My servant Job?”… A Job Kind of Day!
Job 1:8 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, fearing God and turning away from evil.”
I dare to say not many of us has had the opportunity to be tested like our friend Job (thank you God!). Though I do not wish to judge anyone’s response to grief and suffering, I have witnessed more of us being like Job’s friends than being like Job. In fact, our smug counsel to those suffering is a sure sign our faith and love for God, has not been tested with true fire.
Satan knows us so well…
Job 1:9-11 Then Satan answered the Lord, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Have You not made a hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.”
Before anyone screams, “Unfair! God sets Job upon a game of bragging rights!”
Let us review who is who here…
God blesses… Satan destroys.
God loves… Satan covets and lusts after His power and position.
God was willing to put His love on the line knowing the heart of the man He had a covenant with. Satan only wished to use this “HUMAN” (dripping with sarcasm and condescension) to humiliate God and separate Him from His favorite possession.
Was it a game? No, indeed it was WAR!
As shortsighted beings, we have the tendency to make everything about our feelings, and thus, about our happiness and comfort. When either, or both, of these are compromised, we declare, “FOUL BALL!!” and we judge the umpire rather than the pitcher.
Like Satan, we question God… should we fear God for nothing?
We demand God’s protection… hedge about him and his house and all that he has, on every side.
We take for granted all that God has indeed given and done for us… You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land.
Here’s the rub. Satan dared God to curse Job in order to prove he would not handle things well… But put forth Your hand now and touch all that he has; he will surely curse You to Your face.” But, God does not curse – He blesses, Satan curses. Yes, He did give Satan the opportunity and permission to destroy Job’s bounty… and Satan did…
Job 1:13-19 Now on the day when his sons and his daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, a messenger came to Job and said, “The oxen were plowing and the donkeys feeding beside them, and the Sabeans attacked and took them. They also slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The fire of God (eye-witness belief of what happened, not necessarily what DID happen) fell from heaven and burned up the sheep and the servants and consumed them, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “The Chaldeans formed three bands and made a raid on the camels and took them and slew the servants with the edge of the sword, and I alone have escaped to tell you.” While he was still speaking, another also came and said, “Your sons and your daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house, and behold, a great wind came from across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people and they died, and I alone have escaped to tell you.”
A Job kind of day!
No, it did not make Job “happy”…Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head… he grieved and suffered!
But he also… fell to the ground and worshiped.
And spoke the truth about the things of this earth…
Job 1:21 He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, And naked I shall return there. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.”
In other words, the blessings I receive from my Lord DO NOT prove God’s love for me… the FACT of my creation (birth) is proof of God’s love.
Job 2:3 The Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man fearing God and turning away from evil. And he still holds fast his integrity, although you incited Me against him to ruin him without cause.” Job 2:4-5 Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. However, put forth Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh; he will curse You to Your face.” (sore boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head)
Once again God does not curse, He blesses, Satan curses… yes, God did give permission and opportunity, BUT NOT to take Job’s life…
Like Job, sometimes, we do not believe that our life is WORTH LIVING (never is this God’s belief)… sometimes we do not want to LIVE our life! Job 3:1 Afterward Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth. Please note… he cursed the day of his birth… NOT God!
And then… on top of the physical grief and pain… Jobs friends (who should have kept their “opinions” to themselves) opened their mouth after SEVEN nights… and cursed Job!
Much like Satan, they couldn’t wait to blame this on God’s weak creation. They never actually cursed God (much like Satan), but they certainly indicated that Job SHOULD NOT expect God’s blessing since he COULD NOT live up to God’s expectations, nor WOULD NOT confess his sins, which surely caused this breech of God’s “loving” provision.
The one thing that Satan does not get (or maybe he knows it too well and it infuriates him), and I admit we do not always remember, God loves His creation! And God’s love is NEVER conditional – always UNCONDITIONAL!
We look with eyes full of lust (for all that looks wonderful), we live for the lust to please our flesh, and we declare ourselves THE authority with pride of the life we have made for ourselves. We MEASURE our “value” based upon an earthly view.
God measure our “VALUE” of us by His LOVE!
At the end of Satan’s test, God didn’t declare Job free of wrong thinking and speaking silliness about confronting God, instead God told him to “gird up your loins like a man, and I will ask you, and you will instruct Me!” A far cry from turning His back on him and forsaking him because he didn’t/doesn’t measure up.
God did declare that Job was in relationship with Him… a relationship that Job never ceased to put proclaim… a relationship with his God.
After a “big boy” conversation with Daddy… Job declared…
Job 42: 2-6 “I know that You can do all things, and that no purpose of Yours can be thwarted… Therefore I have declared that which I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know… “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; but now my eye sees You; therefore I retract, and I repent in dust and ashes.’ I see You!
Job’s friends were telling him that God’s focus is on his (Job’s) ways and means… in their rush to straighten Job out and get him back on track, they lied about God.
Job 42:7 “My wrath is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has.”
Just a side note… God’s wrath, unlike Satan’s lie about Him, is to give multiple opportunities to repent and know the truth and be set free from our slavery to ignorance… Verse 8 “go to My servant Job, and offer up burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you.“
Having a Job kind of day?
This is not the end… “Things which eye has not seen and ear has not heard, And which have not entered the heart of man, All that God has prepared for those who love Him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)
What IS and ALWAYS has been and always WILL BE important to God is life with us!…“lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20)
There is a life beyond this… the REAL life and it’s all about God! Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven…
This one thing I know… Observe and Remember…
Whether it be a Job kind of day or any kind of day…
God is good ALL THE TIME… and all the time GOD IS GOOD…this day IS FOR SURE a God blessed day!
**All Scripture quoted comes from the “Bible Gateway” app and is the NASB version of the Bible